Falling Out of Yesterday
by damn unique
Summary: What is stronger, heart or brain? Present or past? What alters your life? Memories or feelings? Second chances aren't first ones and rebooting doesn't mean complete deletion. Everything can change, even memories. NatShizNao


**A/N:** First of all: I had uploaded the first chapter of this new story a while ago, but I decided to rewrite it in another Point of view. Therefore I deleted the story. I feel now ready to give it a go again. I'm more satisfied with third person point of view for this one because of the things ahead. I know I've also have "Calignosia" going on, but hey, it's never wrong to have two stories on-going. I shall update when I'm ready. This is essentially different from Calignosia as it is in a ordinary world. No super powers. No HiME, but still AU. A contemporary ShizNat or shall we say NatShizNao romance. Oh my god, yes! I dare to write ShizNao! Brave new world!

* * *

"_**You'd think that silence would be peaceful, but in reality, it's painful."**_

**CHAPTER 1 – DRAWBACK**

Time was never on her side. It either ran too quickly or terribly slow. Today, it was definitely the latter. It had felt like hours before the other end of the line came to life.

"Hello?" Her heart sped up when she heard the familiar voice. _Oh my god, she picked up. And now what?_

"Hey Shizuru, it's me Natsuki." The dialing process had taken long enough for Natsuki to gather her thoughts. She should've known what to say by now, but her mind ran on empty.

"Hey, how are doing?"

"Good, I guess." She scratched over the surface of the asphalt where she was standing, using the tip of her blue sneaker.

"Doesn't sound very convincing?" Shizuru had questioned and Natsuki felt instantly caught out. _How can this girl read my mind when she's not even around me? Impressive!_

"Yeah, well. I'm with Mai and Akane and they're freaking me out a bit," she mused, followed with a nervous giggle.

"And now you want me to rescue you?" Shizuru asked and added a theatrical sigh.

Natsuki could imagine the mischievous look on Shizuru's face. A smile washed over her tensed face.

"No, they made me stay for dinner. I just…" She inhaled. Once. Twice. _Words! Where are you?_ "I wanted to ask you if you're free tomorrow. Maybe?" A heavy weight was lifted as the question he had feared to ask, flew out of her mouth.

"Um, what time? I've got classes in the morning." Shizuru didn't seem to find anything suspicious with Natsuki's request, which made things a lot easier for her. _For now._

"Tomorrow evening?" Natsuki said with a disgusted face. The stench from the trash containers in front of her started to make her feel sick.

"Sounds fine!"

"Really?" Natsuki asked and tore her eyes away from the concrete.

"Of course!"

"So, at sunset? By the cliffs?"

"The cliffs? What's the matter?"

"We haven't been there for a while and…" Natsuki muttered, unable to express herself further.

"Alright, I'll be there."

After saying goodbye, Natsuki stared at display of her mobile for another minute. _That was easy. Now for the hard part. She sighed and let her arm sink._

'I've got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine…'

A wild mixture of vibration and sounds went off in her hand. She flinched and almost dropped the phone. _God, I hate that song. I bet this was Mai's work, or Akane's, or both!_

"Yes?" She snarled into the speaker.

"Natsuki, is everything alright?"

"Mai? Why are you calling me? I'm standing right in front of your door!"

"I'm cooking, remember? I can't leave the kitchen. Dinner will be ready in a bit, so would you please come back inside. You've been there forever."

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." She flipped the phone shut and went back inside the apartment complex.

The smell of mashed potatoes and cheese flooded her system the moment she entered the kitchen. It reminded her of why she had willingly taken out the garbage.

"Where have you been? I was a little worried that you had run off towards home screaming, before dinner." Mai said without looking at her.

"I wish I had of done that earlier this afternoon." Natsuki shrugged.

"Darling like ever," Mai said, glancing at her for the first time after she had reentered. "Would you mind lending me a hand here? I need to get that chicken out of the fridge."

Natsuki tried to flatten her breathing as she came closer to the hotplates. Mai was a fabulous cook, but the smell of the food and her missing appetite made Natsuki's stomach growl in rebellion.

She opened the fridge, took out the chicken and handed it over without looking at the meat. No need to stare at the dead animal any longer than necessary. She would have preferred some red meat, but doubted that it would have rekindled her desire for food today. She went back to the other side of the kitchen and let herself fall into one of the chairs at the table. Mai was too busy to occupy her with a small talk and so her thoughts wandered off again.

She started to swirl a strand of her black hair back and forth. Split ends were the dreadful result of the thorough examination. There was some serious work that needed to be done to her hair when she returned home later. Her body now clearly seemed to have backfired at her, after weeks of sleeplessness and fast food. She better do something about her state of mind before it was too late. Maybe she should leave right away. Why was she still here anyway? She had listened to Mai's and Akane's advice the entire afternoon in regards to Shizuru. Why did they have to make her stay for dinner as well?

She inhaled deeply before letting out an audible sigh. The strong flavor of the roasting chicken reached her nostrils and caused her to look up. Most of the kitchen was covered in steam. It hung heavy beneath the ceiling, forming small droplets of water on the tiles below the exhaust hood. Mai was keeping all of the hotplates busy, managing to jump between the fridge and garbage bin impressively many times as she cooked.

Her usually pale skin had reddened from the heat of the stove, and now perfectly blended in with the flaming color of her hair. The white kitchen apron rounded the motherly appearance to an eerie sight. Mai was only in her mid-twenties, but to Natsuki she sometimes looked as if she had three children and a husband.

"Natsuki, could you please open the window?" Mai asked without facing her.

Natsuki stood up from the kitchen table, answering her request. The cool evening air crashed into the kitchen like a wave. It was a welcomed guest; probably the only one she would have invited if it had been up to her.

"Thank you." Mai was already fetching the dishes.

Natsuki stood in front of the window for another minute, watching the afterglow of the day die away in the distance. She inhaled deeply, but the smell of the chicken wouldn't leave her nose. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the chirping birds outside.

"Akane, dinner's ready," Mai shouted into the living room, slicing Natsuki's short moment of privacy in half. She turned around and flashed Natsuki a wide smile. Nodding in response, Natsuki silently sat back down. _How could somebody be so damn joyful the whole time?_ Natsuki thought.

"I know this isn't your favorite food, but you can't live on delivery services forever. It's just not healthy." Mai placed the plate in front of her.

"Yeah, yeah," Natsuki replied, taking the fork. She rested her chin on her palm and started picking at her food.

"It smells delicious." The door behind her flew fully open, making her tense for a second. Akane sat down next to Mai, wearing the same idiotic smile.

"Enjoy your meal," Mai said and put the apron away, revealing a mint green shirt.

Without a second of hesitation Akane started to munch on the chicken. She gulped half of it down before she even touched the mashed potatoes. Natsuki wrinkled her nose while she watched her. With her blue jogging suit and yellow headband Akane looked somewhat ridiculous. _What was I expecting? Working out in the living room doesn't require dressing up. Ugh, why am I bothering anyway…?_

"You should really eat something. You won't be able to live through your big day tomorrow otherwise," Mai said. She must have been watching her puzzled expression as she attempts to eat the different components on her plate.

"Don't tell me you're afraid." The amethyst eyes were piercing through Natsuki, knowingly.

"Oh please, no more roomie-talk," Natsuki said, putting the fork back on the table. She leaned back with a huff.

"You can't call it roomie-talk as long as you refuse to room with us," Mai noted.

"What for? I like my apartment…," Natsuki said with arms crossed. "Especially the privacy!" She gave a glare.

"Fine, but still, Akane and I would love to have you here. The apartment is big enough for the three of us. Just keep that in mind, will you?"

"Yeah, yeah." She was tired of answering the same questions again and again. There was no way she would leave her beloved little world behind to live with her high-school friends. College was hard enough with all the clubs and classes. There was no need to be overdosed on socializing.

"Anyway, maybe things will be different as of tomorrow. Who knows…," Akane commented with a giggle.

"What the-"

"Come on grumpy head, we've talked about this over and over again," Mai said, cutting her off. "Just do yourself and us a favor and go through with it this time, will you?"

There was a long silence where both pairs of eyes were watching her intensely. Natsuki knew Akane and Mai wouldn't let her back out.

"Yes, I will." she said and let her shoulders sink.

"I now pronounce you wife and wife." Akane teased.

"Oh shut up, Akane," Natsuki shot forward again within a blink of an eye.

"What? I just help you familiarizing yourself with your new life." Akane and Mai giggled in union.

_Those two really make it sound extremely easy. _She twisted her mouth and went over to the window again. Tired green eyes stared back at her. The split ends weren't visible at first, but her long, black hair looked lifeless.

"It's not that bad, Natsuki," Mai started. "Why are you so afraid? You already know that she likes you too."

"It's been years since then." She leaned her head against the cold glass. "Things have changed."

"Indeed they have, but not necessarily for the worse," Mai said, putting down her cutlery with an exhausted sigh.

"But she's right. Shizuru hasn't approached her on that matter ever since then…" Akane objected.

"You're not helping, Akane," Mai said, turning towards Akane with raised brows.

Natsuki was unable to repress a heavy sigh. "What if I am making an idiot out of myself…," she mumbled, filming the glass with her breath.

"What if you're not?" Mai shrugged, sending Akane a glare. "Shizuru had done much worse to you."

Just like the steam had blanketed the kitchen minutes ago, an unpleasant silence swamped the area. Sadly, the exhaust hood wasn't able to suck up the heaviness in the air. But Mai, being the perfect housewife, was quick to take that job by asking, "You'll talk to her, right?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"She'll meet me at the cliffs tomorrow at sunset."

"This sounds so romantic…" Akane leaned on the table with her elbows. "…if it weren't for that incide-"

"Will you shut up now? It's already hard enough for her." Mai said sharply, staring Akane down with displeased eyes.

"Sorry…," Akane muttered and lowered her head.

She brought her attention back to the plate while Mai turned around to send Natsuki an apologizing glance. Natsuki just nodded and closed her eyes for a second, pressing her forehead harder against the window. She could feel her body tense under the vivid memories inside her head when they started to spread. Those images never came alone, once triggered they multiplied in a rapid manner. At first, they would be only a flicker and in the next second, her mind would ignite. She quickly shook them off with a huff and pulled away from the cold glass, back into the heat of the kitchen.

"I think I'll head home," She said and started walking over to the wardrobe.

Mai shot up from her chair, stopping her halfway. "But you haven't even touched your food yet."

"I have…," she said, but Mai crossed her arms in questioning anticipation. "…with the fork." She looked at her friend with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm just not hungry," she went on, and her friend seemed to have mercy. The worried look on Mai's face was replaced by an understanding one.

"What was that saying again?" Natsuki rubbed her head with a light smile. "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen…" A nervous chuckle followed and against her belief's it seemed to lessen the worries enough for Mai to let her go.

"Alright, but do me a favor and try to get some sleep. You look horrible." Natsuki smiled, knowing all too well she wouldn't, before saying, "I'll try."

"Take care," Mai said, opening the door for her.

"You too."

"Bye," Akane yelled from the kitchen before the door was closed behind her.

She could hear Mai's voice from inside rise. She was probably scolding Akane about the comment, but Natsuki known her long enough to know that she didn't mean to cause any harm. They both wanted to help her, however the only thing that could help her, was having clarity. She looked up into the now fully developed night sky.

_Tomorrow will change everything._

* * *

Her motorcycle roared loudly into the late afternoon as she shifted to a higher gear, hoping for the headwind she fought against to clear her mind. Last night had been another tournament of tossing and turning which she had won without competition. Her worries were making it hard, in being able to concentrating on the drive – concentrating on anything. The situation she was in was unfavorable and even driving her beloved bike did nothing to help.

With the crowded main road now behind her, an ephemeral carpet started to spread in the corner of her eye. For a short moment, she averted her attention from the street to watch the sparkling reflections of the sunrays on the waves. She could already smell the salty breath of the ocean through her helmet. _The weather is perfect… it'll be good… everything will be fine…_, she thought as she brought her gaze back to the curvy road ahead.

It was almost empty and she just wished her head would be the same. There was no use in denying the obvious any longer. But then, what was the obvious? That it had bothered the last few times when guys had been hitting on her best friend? Maybe she was just annoyed by their lame approaches. For as long as she had known Shizuru, she couldn't fully comprehend her. They were crucially different from each other, but somehow there was a hidden understanding; a common ground that made them inseparable. It was one of the reasons why she knew that none of those guys were worthy to be with the Southern beauty. Yes, that must be it… She was just watching Shizuru's back, like always.

Being raised in a wealthy family in Richmond, Shizuru was too well-mannered and nice to turn someone down. She would smile at them and excuse herself politely, and for sure, those hormone-loaded idiots would take it the wrong way. Someone had to be there teaching them a lesson.

Maybe Mai had jumped to the wrong conclusion? After all, the girl tended to get overly excited about all kinds of things. Giving the strange thoughts she had at times, it was probably just another one of Mai's hyper ideas. '_Natsuki, you're in love with Shizuru_,' was what Mai had said. Truth be told, it's what Natsuki had been telling herself. Not only had she been repeating it frequently in her head, no, she had also tried to investigate the strangeness of the situation in hopes of finding a solution.

One of the big No's was to fall in love with your best friend, especially if your best friend is a girl, the awkwardness can become rather uncomfortable. However, her feelings towards Shizuru were much too complex to be squeezed into one word. According to Mai '_love_' wasn't just a word, but the many times Natsuki had written it down didn't change her perception. Four letters were four letters. She wasn't able to find Shizuru in them, or maybe she wasn't able to find herself in them. She didn't know for sure.

She had never been a coward. When she was a toddler she had stood up against other children who'd bothered her friends. Her mother had scolded her more than once for coming home with scratches and bruises due to fighting. Still, she hadn't changed throughout the years. Even nowadays, she'd come home wondering why she never got tired of defending the people she care for that was around her. Maybe she had some kind of weird knight-complex, who knows?

Shizuru had often told her that she liked her protective nature. She had said she felt like a princess whenever Natsuki behaved like a knight, and Natsuki had blushed like an idiot under the compliment. And that's exactly the problem. Things like emotions and feelings chilled her to the bone. It had taken her so long to accept that she didn't only do such things for herself, but also for Shizuru. She had believed it to be good intentions, but there was more to it. Nobody felt nervous around their best friend or blushed under their compliments. Nobody but those who have a secret crush on them. Yet, having a crush and admitting it are two completely different things.

She didn't know why those nagging doubts suddenly came back with full force. They were clouding her mind and she couldn't afford to back out now that she was already on her way to the cliffs.

Yesterday at Mai's it had sounded like a bright idea to tell Shizuru about her new discovered feelings. Although in reality, they weren't all that new. She had been pondering it for the last few months. The arguments that Mai had made seemed rational. Shizuru had confessed her love to her long ago; that was a fact. But Akane was also right; Shizuru never again had brought up the topic, after she had turned her down… and after that incident.

Shaking the thoughts off in denial, she ducked down further on the bike, allowing the speed to increase. She wouldn't allow her mind to go down memory lane. Not today. She couldn't tolerate the unpleasant images of that time to resurface. It would only be in the way of her planned confession. She would go through with this. The past was in the past and yesterday wasn't today. Although right now, she wished for a swift tomorrow.

If she could just skip the whole embarrassing talk and move on to the next day, she would. Basically, there were only two options: Either Shizuru was still in love with her and they would find a way to each other through all the chaos or she would turn her down. The latter hopefully didn't mean that the friendship would be over as well, but that was something she would rather not think about right now. She was only a mile away from her destination and she was sure Shizuru was already there waiting for so many times before.

The ocean hid behind the bluff that is now in front of her, at a bold angle, making the last curve stretch against the sky. She slowed down the pace as the platform on the cliffs came within sight as she came around the next bend. A purple car was parked on the side of the road. Even if it hadn't been for the extraordinary color, she would have known it was her waiting. Shizuru always parked in the same spot whenever they met in their special place, and so did Natsuki. She brought her bike to a stop behind the car.

Now that she was here, she wasn't sure if Akane and Mai had of been right about calling this a date. Yesterday, she had refrained from the thought of asking Shizuru out for a date. It was the words that mattered and not the place. She also hadn't wanted to get too excited about it - which was ridiculous since she had been standing on pins and needles for weeks. She had thought that familiar ground would be a good idea. That said ground was a platform on the cliffs and while the sun set across the horizon, it would practically be labeled as date for others.

She put down the helmet and walked towards the half-finished railing, careful not to trip on the rocky bottom. Countless seagulls were croaking and fighting for food as they were easily crossing the border between water and the mainland. The sharp edged rocks that stood out into the salty air framed a perfect image and made it look like a painting. Watching the slender figure of Shizuru standing against the blue of the ocean and the sky caused Natsuki's heart to sink. It was a peaceful sight and it felt wrong to disturb the scenery with her presence.

Shizuru turning her head under the approaching steps let Natsuki hesitate for a moment. She could see Shizuru's auburn hair waving in the wind, but wasn't able to make out her facial expression against the low standing sun.

"What are you waiting for?" Shizuru asked.

It was such a simple question, yet it was the one thing that had been casting a shadow on her mind the last few months. She knew Shizuru was referring to her coming over to where she stood, so she took a deep breath and jumped over the railing. She leaned her back against it in a cool manner, facing the sea instead of the girl next to her. She wasn't ready to look at Shizuru. So she mumbled a short 'hello'. A soft chuckle followed as a response. Being Natsuki's best friend, Shizuru could probably read her uneasiness. Still, Natsuki was glad to have her smile so light-heartedly. For almost a year, she hadn't been sure if she would ever be able to see Shizuru like that again. And she had promised herself to enjoy every last bit of it.

The silence between them stretched, making the crashing waves that sat thirty feet beneath them sound even louder. On every other day, it wouldn't feel strange just to sit here with her best friend and watch the sunset without talking, but today was different. At least, she had planned it to be different. She needed to get this off her chest; to lift that weight. And it was up to Shizuru whether to carry or drop it. She had been thinking of writing down a speech or even telling Shizuru in a letter, but Mai had advised her to do it in person; to 'go with flow' as Akane had called it. But that was nowhere close and as simple as it sounded. What do I even want to say? How am I supposed to go with it when I don't even know what that flow is? I better run with the sun…

"Shizuru… I've been thinking for a while…," Natsuki started.

"So that's why your forehead has become so wrinkly lately."

"What the…" She hectically palpated the skin on her forehead.

"I'm joking," Shizuru said laughing while Natsuki glanced at her with arms crossed and a pout on her face. The laughter was quickly carried onto the ocean and a warm smile took its place as Shizuru added, "You look beautiful."

Natsuki nearly fell backwards from the railing. She should be used to hearing those things by now, but in this situation it was just plain wrong. Shouldn't she be the one complimenting? She needed to turn the conversation around or else she would be trapped in an endless teasing attack. With a deep breath of sea air she said, "You too… I mean you look very nice…" She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. "Err… stunning… err, I mean always."

"Is everything alright with you, Natsuki?" Shizuru raised a brow.

"No. I guess not." Natsuki sighed and closed her eyes. "That's why I needed to see you."

"Oh and here I thought you wanted to see me because you've missed me," Shizuru said with a wink.

The blush on Natsuki's face deepened to an alarming shade. "Geez, Shizuru. You're not making this any easier for me."

"Sorry, I just love your blushing face." Shizuru covered her mouth to hide her chuckling.

"That's exactly why I've asked you to come here," Natsuki stated while fumbling with the zipper of her leather jacket.

"Because of your blushing face?"

"No, because of…" _Damn, this word…_ "Love." The wind had blown away the word before she even had thought twice to prevent its appearance. She could feel her knees becoming weak under the heavy burden of her spoken mind –or heart, or whatever it was that pulled on her.

"I… I'm not quite sure if I follow you?" Shizuru's voice lacked the usual confidence, which gave Natsuki enough space to build up some of her own.

"Doesn't matter," she said, before jumping up from the railing.

She walked to the edge of the cliff, staring into the abyss. The rocky shore at the bottom was almost flooded by the rising tide. Some of the seabirds were swaying on the waves while the sun slowly dipped into the ocean. It was time to face her fears. It was now or never. She took a deep breath and turned around. For the first time, she daringly looked straight at Shizuru. Her lungs begged to get rid of the excess air, but she couldn't move a muscle. _That's why they call it breathtaking…_ The deep crimson eyes of Shizuru were bathed in sunlight, assisting the amber to shimmer. Her auburn-colored hair looked almost golden, while her solid bangs were rounding the soft features of her face. She looked flawless. It was as if Shizuru belonged right here; in the warm twilight between day and night. _What have I been waiting for?_

"Shizuru…" Natsuki allowed the spare air in her lungs to escape as she exhaled her name. "Can I follow you… if you still want me to...?" She could see Shizuru's gaze change, but she didn't know what to make of it. Her eyes always had been a mystery to Natsuki, while Shizuru seemed to read her so easily.

Unable to decipher the wild mixture of emotions she finally said, "I know it took me forever, but I think… no, I know that I'm in love with you."

"Natsuki, I…" Tears welled up, blurring the pool of honey.

"Whoa… Why are you crying?" Natsuki's eyes became wide. She reached out with her hand, not knowing what to do. Shizuru's body sunk as if all the strength had left her. She buried her face in her hands, gasping and shaking under the force of tears.

"Because I've always wished for this to happen," she said in between gasps and whimpers.

Natsuki's body moved on its known. She did what felt natural, although she never had been a very touchy person. With one big step, she bridged the distance and pulled Shizuru into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to realize," she said, while stroking the auburn hair.

Slowly her mind started to realize what all this meant. Shizuru was still harboring feelings for her. Akane had been right. Things would be different from now on.

She pressed her cheek against Shizuru's head, trying to soothe the crying girl. Even if it was out of happiness, she couldn't deal with crying girls, especially not if it was Shizuru. She had seen this way too often and she just wanted her to smile. Without saying a word, she patiently waited for the sobs to come in bigger gaps. The light behind her slowly faded away, and so did the shaking of the body in her arms.

Shizuru carefully struggled free from her embrace and lifted her head. She looked directly into her eyes and once again, Natsuki forgot to breathe. In all of scenarios Natsuki had planned out in her head, she had never dared to dream this far. Her mind had refused to imagine the closeness, the opportunity of intimacy. She wasn't sure if it was pure shyness or if she was afraid, or if she just didn't want to imagine something that would never come true. But now that she could feel Shizuru's breath upon her lips, her heart was hammering against her chest, as if it was trying to jump out and run away. _She is so beautiful. How on earth can an individual be so beautiful?_ It was just too much to take. Her nerves were overflowing with information and feelings. She was on complete overload and somehow her brain did shut down.

"Err… it's getting cold. We better go home." As soon as the words had left her mouth she felt the strong need to hit her head against one of the nearby rocks. She bent back, staring at the bottom. The perfect moment had slipped away like a fistful of sand. _Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the great Natsuki Kuga: lazy college student and biggest coward on earth… at your service…_

"You're thinking face is the cutest," Shizuru said with a smile.

Natsuki looked at her in relief. How could she have thought that Shizuru wouldn't understand her idiocy? She was her best friend… her counterpart after all. She smiled back and sat down on the railing next to Shizuru again. The sun had fallen from the sky, leaving a trail of light along the horizon behind. A few stars became already visible on the dark blue format. They both watched the dissipating day in silence until Shizuru suddenly took Natsuki's hand in hers, entwining their fingers without looking at her. The touch shot through her like a lightning bolt. Shizuru's skin was so soft and warm. It filled her up with contentment. She smiled, lightly squeezing Shizuru's hand.

"I never thought that you'd be able to feel anything for me…," Shizuru started, trying to pull her hand away, but Natsuki didn't let her. "…other than pity, or even hate after-"

"Let's not talk about this anymore. It's in the past," Natsuki interrupted. She did not want this moment to be overshadowed. There was no need to dig deeper into things that were irreversible anyway. She could feel Shizuru's hand becoming sweaty, but she wouldn't let her go down memory lane. Not yet. Not ever again. From today on there would only be the present.

"I wonder if they'll ever get this done," she said, knocking on the metal of the half-finished railing. It was under construction for almost a year now. The workers had fenced half of the platform, in order to mark a border between the steep edge and the street, but they had stopped a few months ago without finishing the job.

"They better. It's dangerous after all…," Shizuru responded with sad eyes. It probably wasn't the best change of topic, but that was first thing that came to Natsuki's mind. Luckily, Shizuru didn't seem to be too interested in going into much detail about it as she went on. "Well, it's forbidden to be so close to the edge according to these." She pointed at the construction and the warning signs around it.

"I always feel like being on the edge when I'm with you," Natsuki said with a smile.

"I'm not particularly sure if that is a compliment."

"Damn sure it is!" she said and jumped up, pulling Shizuru with her. "Let's go home."

"By home you mean…"

"Ugh… err… you see, I haven't quite thought about it." She let go of Shizuru's hand, needing both arms to gesticulate wildly. "We could go to your apartment… or mine…"

"Are you having kinky thoughts?" Shizuru asked with a mischievous grin.

"What?!" Her hectic movements stopped straight away and Shizuru once more brought her hand up to cover her chuckling.

"I'm joking…," Shizuru said after regaining her composure. She looked at her with an intensity that made her stiffen. Before she could do or say anything Shizuru once more was taking her hand, pulling her in with one movement.

Their lips clashed together like the waves upon the cliffs beneath them. The impact blew Natsuki's mind away, drifting into the falling night. If her heart was still somewhere in her chest, it had stopped beating the moment Shizuru had breathed her soul into her mouth. She couldn't name the exact flavor, but it tasted sweet.

When Shizuru parted her lips to beg entry, Natsuki's heart suddenly started pumping again. Heavily and loud it was knocking in her ears as the soft tongue of Shizuru melted with hers. She had been kissed before, but not like this. The puberty-guys-kissing-adventure was something she had never come to like. But kissing Shizuru stopped her world for a second, and sent her on a carousel ride moments later. She pressed harder against her as if she needed a reminder that this wasn't (just) a dream. The kiss deepened, before their lips eventually parted. They both contentedly smiled at each other, while Natsuki's heartbeat slowly began to steady.

"You've got quite the sunburn on your cheeks," Shizuru said with a grin as she kept staring into Natsuki's eyes. Usually she would have pouted, but right now things were just too perfect. And she wanted nothing more than to feel this sensation again.

"Shut up…," she said and smiled back, before drawing Shizuru in for another kiss. She felt as if she could never get enough of Shizuru.

"By the way," Shizuru said after the kiss had ended. "How did you like your new ringtone?"

"So, that was your doing?!" Natsuki gave Shizuru a gentle pinch.

"I thought you needed something energetic. You've been so gloomy lately."

"Yeah, whatever. I hate that song and you know it."

"Maybe you'll come to like it. You'll never know."

"Oh, I know. Believe me."

It had become chilly on top of the cliffs after nightfall. Shizuru, who had worn only a blouse and a tight skirt, was covered in goose-bumps.

"Alright, let's get out of here," Natsuki said, taking Shizuru's hand to lead her safely over the rocky platform. The stars above them were wildly flickering in the moonless sky, but they didn't shed enough light to figure out the best way over the uneven bottom. The street lights didn't help much either.

"Are you playing knight again?" Shizuru joked from behind.

"You never get enough of the teasing, do you?"

"I might never get enough of you," Shizuru said, stopping next to her parked car on the side of the road. The waves were still the loudest sound around them after the screaming of the seagulls had stopped. Natsuki turned around but could only make out the outline of Shizuru in the darkness.

"That won't be a problem from now on." She took a step forward, raising herself on her tippy tiptoes to plaster a kiss on Shizuru's forehead.

The next few seconds happened with a blur. A bright torch of light, a tremendous loud car horn and a hard impact on the bottom was all Natsuki was able to comprehend. When she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by obscurity again. The car must have passed them without stopping. She instinctively reached out and found Shizuru next to her.

"Are you alright?" Natsuki asked, rubbing her knee. She inhaled sharply feeling pain. _I must have hit it on one of the sharp rocks._ The silence around her made her heart heavy. Why wasn't Shizuru answering her? She crawled forward leaning (herself) over the limp body of her best friend. Something was wrong. Shizuru was one to play tricks on her, but she would never joke about such a thing.

"Shizuru," Natsuki whispered. "Please say something! Shizuru!" Her body started shaking as she took Shizuru's head in her hands. She brought her face close to Shizuru's mouth and could feel her breathing against her cheek. _Thank god…_

The short relief was soon tainted by the wet feeling on her right hand that was supporting Shizuru's head. She was still unconscious and Natsuki was unable to make out any of damage that she had encored in the darkness. She carefully removed her hand and walked over to her bike, wincing as her knee begged to give in under her body weight. She switched on the headlight and turned the handlebar to illuminate the lying form of Shizuru. She stepped into the light and looked at her right hand. It was covered in blood.

* * *

"Where am I?" came the cracked voice from the bed.

Natsuki spun around, her eyes wide with shock. _This must be how the prince in the fairy tale feels, when his sleeping beauty awakes..._

"You're in the hospital?" Her voice trembled from relief when Shizuru had finally woken up.

"Hospital?" Shizuru whispered. Her throat was probably sore from the tube. She closed her eyes with a pained expression. Her fingertips lightly massaged her temples before the brown eyes shot open again, staring at her in panic.

"Who are you? Who am I?"

The relief on Natsuki's face had washed off with Shizuru's words. Her mind ran wild with horror. She couldn't hold onto a single clear thought. The only thing echoing in her mind was what had been haunting her the night before the accident:

'Tomorrow will change everything.'

* * *

**A/N**: I've started Chapter 2 and I'm also on Chapter 4 of Calignosia. I'm doing my homework ;-) Now do yours and drop me a review with your thoughts, please =D


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